Systems for detecting and tracking motion provide a user the opportunity to interact with a simulated environment. A simulated environment is wide ranging, and may include, but is not limited to, seismic analysis and well planning for oil or gas fields, virtual automotive design and analysis, fixed wing and rotary flight simulation, weapon training simulation, combat motor vehicle simulation, welding simulation, sports or athletic simulation and research analysis, and medical field training, research analysis, and interactive simulation. The simulated environment may include a single or multiple visual displays. The multiple visual displays may be combined to form an immersive system, including one or more horizontal wall displays, a ceiling and/or a floor display. The displays are combined to project a single, continuous image between the multiple displays. A motion tracking system may be integrated with the visual displays of a simulated environment to track the movements of a user within a defined area of movement or tracking workspace. The defined area of movement or tracking workspace may vary in size, and may include, but is not limited to, a room, an area within a room, or a simulated cockpit.
The motion tracking system includes one or more transponders which are physically integrated or mounted at various locations over or around the desired tracking workspace. Each transponder emits a signal. The arrangement of transponders and associated coordinate measurements are used to create a transponder location map or constellation file which defines the placement and arrangement of the transponders about the tracking workspace.
However, motion tracking systems currently in use have limitations. A microprocessor controller in communication with the transponders can only store and utilize one constellation file. This effectively limits the motion tracking system to utilizing only one arrangement of transponders. In applications having two or more transponder arrangements or constellation files, a user must electronically connect to the microprocessor controller and separately load a different constellation file. This process is cumbersome and time consuming as a series of multiple steps must be physically and manually executed to load the new constellation file. Further, the loading process and associated steps must be repeated for each different constellation. Accordingly, current motion tracking systems are not conducive to applications having more than one transponder arrangement and constellation file. For example, in some currently available motion tracking systems, in order to change constellation files a user must connect to a motion tracking system processor through a manually executable program or application. The user must manually traverse a series of steps to clear the existing constellation file and load a second, different constellation file. Once loaded, the user must exit the application before the constellation may be utilized.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to have a system which allows for the utilization of two or more arrangements of transponders or constellation files in a simple and efficient manner. Further, it would be advantageous to have a system which allows for selective loading of two or more constellation files in a short amount of time. In addition, it would be advantageous to have a system which would automatically configure an arrangement of transponders through the automatic uploading and installation of an associated constellation file.